sk.thetalisman-第93章
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It'd be a footrace； pure and simple。 Got to try it。 Better than trying it back there； at the Home。 And…
And it wasn't just Wolf's growing distress that was driving him； he was now nearly frantic about Lily； who was back in New Hampshire dying by inches while Jack said hallelujah under duress。
Go for it。 Magic juice or no magic juice。 Got to try。
But before Jack was quite ready； Ferd Janklow tried。
Great minds run in the same channel； can you say amen。
2
When it happened； it happened fast。 At one moment Jack was listening to Ferd Janklow's usual line of cynical； amusing bullshit。 At the next； Ferd was pelting north across the murky field toward the stone wall。 Until Ferd went for it； the day had seemed as drearily ordinary as any other at the Sunlight Home。 It was cold and overcast； there was a smell of rain； possibly even snow in the air。 Jack looked up to ease his aching back； and also to see if Sonny Singer was around。 Sonny enjoyed harassing Jack。 Most of the harassment was of the nuisance variety。 Jack had his feet stepped on； he was pushed on the stairs； his plate had been knocked out of his hands for three meals running…until he had learned to simultaneously cradle it on the inner side of his body and hold it in a death…grip。
Jack wasn't pletely sure why Sonny hadn't organized a mass stomping。 Jack thought maybe it was because Sunlight Gardener was interested in the new boy。 He didn't want to think that； it scared him to think that； but it made sense。 Sonny Singer was holding off because Sunlight Gardener had told him to； and that was another reason to get out of here in a hurry。
He looked to his right。 Wolf was about twenty yards away； grubbing rocks with his hair in his face。 Closer by was a gantry…thin boy with buck teeth…Donald Keegan； his name was。 Donny grinned at him worshipfully； baring those amazing buck teeth。 Spit dribbled from the end of his lolling tongue。 Jack looked away quickly。
Ferd Janklow was on his left…the boy with the narrow Delftware hands and the deep widow's peak。 In the week since Jack and Wolf had been incarcerated in the Sunlight Home； he and Ferd had bee good friends。
Ferd was grinning cynically。
'Donny's in love with you；' he said。
'Blow it out；' Jack said unfortably； feeling a flush rise in his cheeks。
'I bet Donny'd blow it out if you let him；' Ferd said。 'Wouldn't you； Donny？'
Donny Keegan laughed his big； rusty yuck…yuck； not having the slightest idea of what they were talking about。
'I wish you'd quit it；' Jack said。 He felt more unfortable than ever。
Donny's in love with you。
The bloody hell of it was； he thought that maybe poor； retarded Donny Keegan really was in love with him 。 。 。 and Donny was maybe not the only one。 Oddly； Jack found himself thinking of the nice man who had offered to take him home and who had then settled for dropping him off at the mall exit near Zanesville。 He saw it first； Jack thought。 Whatever's new about me； that man saw it first。
Ferd said； 'You've gotten very popular around here； Jack。 Why； I think even old Heck Bast would blow it out for you； if you asked him。'
'Man； that's sick；' Jack said； flushing。 'I mean…'
Abruptly； Ferd dropped the rock he had been working at and stood up。 He looked swiftly around； saw none of the white turtlenecks were looking at him； and then turned back to Jack。 'And now； my darling；' he said； 'it's been a very dull party； and I really must be going。'
Ferd made kissing noises at Jack； and then a grin of amazing radiance lit and broadened Ferd's narrow； pale face。 A moment later he was in full flight； running for the rock wall at the end of Far Field； running in big gangling storklike strides。
He did indeed catch the guards napping…at least to a degree。 Pedersen was talking about girls with Warwick and a horse…faced boy named Peabody； an Outside Staffer who had been rotated back to the Home for a while。 Heck Bast had been granted the supreme pleasure of acpanying Sunlight Gardener to Muncie on some errand。 Ferd got a good head…start before a startled cry went up：
'Hey！ Hey； someone's takin off！'
Jack gaped after Ferd； who was already six rows over and humping like hell。 In spite of seeing his own plan co…opted； Jack felt a moment of triumphant excitement； and in his heart he wished him nothing but well。 Go！ Go； you sarcastic son of a bitch！ Go； for Jason's sake！
'It's Ferd Janklow；' Donny Keegan gurgled； and then laughed his big； whooping laugh。
3
The boys gathered for confession in the mon room that night as they always did； but confession was cancelled。 Andy Warwick strode in； announced the cancellation with abrupt baldness； and told them they could have an hour of 'fellowship' before dinner。 Then he strode out。
Jack thought Warwick had looked； under his patina of goose…stepping authority； frightened。
And Ferd Janklow was not here。
Jack looked around the room and thought with glum humor that if this was 'fellowship one with the other；' he would hate to see what would happen if Warwick had told them to have 'a quiet hour。' They sat around the big long room； thirty…nine boys between age twelve and age seventeen； looking at their hands； picking at scabs； morosely biting their nails。 They all shared a mon look…junkies robbed of their fix。 They wanted to hear confessions； even more； they wanted to make confessions。
No one mentioned Ferd Janklow。 It was as though Ferd； with his grimaces at Sunlight Gardener's sermons and his pale Delftware hands； had never existed。
Jack found himself barely able to restrain an impulse to stand and scream at them。 Instead； he began to think as hard as he ever had in his life。
He's not here because they killed him。 They're all mad。 You think madness isn't catching？ Just look what happened at that nutty place down in South America…when the man in the reflector sunglasses told them to drink the purple grape drink； they said yassuh； boss； and drank it。
Jack looked around at the dreary； indrawn； tired； blank faces…and thought how they would light； how they would kindle； if Sunlight Gardener strode in here…if he strode in here right here and now。
They'd do it； too； if Sunlight Gardener asked them to。 They'd drink it； and then they'd hold me and Wolf； and they'd pour it down our throats as well。 Ferd was right…they see something on my face； or in it； something that came into me in the Territories； and maybe they do love me a little 。 。 。 I guess that's what pulled Heck Bast's bell…rope anyway。 That slob isn't used to loving anything or anyone。 So； yeah； maybe they do love me a little 。 。 。 but they love him a lot more。 They'd do it。 They're mad。
Ferd could have told him that； and； sitting there in the mon room； Jack supposed that Ferd had told him。
He told Jack he had been mitted to the Sunlight Home by his parents； born…again Christians who fell down on their knees in the living room whenever anyone on The 700 Club began to say a prayer。 Neither of them had understood Ferd； who was cut from an entirely different bolt of cloth。 They thought Ferd must be a child of the devil…a munistic； radical humanist changeling。 When he ran away for the fourth time and was bagged by none other than Franky Williams； his parents came to the Sunlight Home…where Ferd had of course been stashed…and fell in love with Sunlight Gardener on sight。 Here was the answer to all the problems their bright； troublesome； rebellious son had caused them。 Sunlight Gardener would educate their son toward the Lord。 Sunlight Gardener would show him the error of his ways。 Sunlight Gardener would take him off their hands and get him off the streets of Anderson。
'They saw that story about the Sunlight Home on Sunday Report；' Ferd told Jack。 'They sent me a postcard saying God would punish liars and false prophets in a lake of fire。 I wrote them back…Rudolph in the kitchen smuggled the letter out for me。 Dolph's a pretty good guy。' He paused。 'You know what the Ferd Janklow definition of a good guy is； Jack？'
'No。'
'One who stays bought；' Ferd said； and laughed a cynical； hurt laugh。 'Two bucks buys Dolph's mailman services。 So I wr
